Match ends, Chelsea 1(6), Villarreal 1(5).
Chelsea beat Villarreal 6-5 in a penalty shootout to lift the Uefa Super Cup for a second time after a draining 120 minutes in Belfast.
Substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga saved captain Raul Albiol's spot-kick at Windsor Park on a night that began superbly for the Blues with an excellent first-half performance before the Spaniards stormed back into the contest after the break.
Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring midway through the opening 45 minutes but was then forced off with what looked like a worrying shoulder injury before half-time.
The Spaniards hit the woodwork either side of the break before Gerard Moreno equalised in the 73rd minute to force extra time.
Chelsea, who look set to complete a deal to re-sign striker Romelu Lukaku for a club record fee of £97.5m from Inter Milan, failed to rediscover their first-half vigour in extra time but did come close to a winner through Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount.
It was the first time the Super Cup was played in Northern Ireland and 13,000 spectators generated a fantastic atmosphere in the south Belfast stadium, the highest attendance at any sports event in the country since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Kepa goes from Chelsea villain to shootout hero
- Ziyech injury 'serious' - Tuchel
- Relive the action in Belfast
Kepa was brought off the bench by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel just a few minutes before the end of extra time and dived low to his right to save from Albiol - his second save of the shootout having also denied Aissa Mandi - and spark mass scenes of celebration among the Chelsea players and supporters.
Ziyech's goal arrived in the 27th minute when the lively Kai Havertz ran on to a ball into the left channel and delivered a precise pull-back, with Ziyech directing his shot in despite not getting a clean connection.
Villarreal's equaliser was the result of a poor clearance out of defence by Antonio Rudiger, with Gerard Moreno feeding Boulaye Dia, whose clever flick-return to the Spaniard was clinically swept past Edouard Mendy.
It was an equaliser that looked like coming after Alberto Moreno crashed a volley off the underside of the crossbar in first-half injury time and Mendy had dived superbly to tip a Gerard Moreno shot on to the post after the keeper had initially given the ball away.
Ziyech injury a concern for Chelsea after commanding start
The opening 40 minutes were something of a stroll for Chelsea as they imposed themselves on Villarreal, not giving their Spanish opponents a glimmer of hope until just before the break.
The contrasting styles of captain-for-the-night N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in midfield provided a base from which to apply pressure on the Europa League winners, with Kovacic's diagonal balls to Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right particularly penetrating.
Timo Werner had their first chance in the sixth minute, having his close-range volley well saved by Sergio Asenjo, while Kante flashed just wide from 20 yards before Zouma volleyed an excellent chance over the bar.
Ziyech then clashed with Juan Foyth and went down, requiring oxygen treatment and going off the pitch with his right shoulder having to be supported amid a chaotic closing few minutes to the first half.
Tuchel's side looked flat as the second half got under way and were not helped when the inevitable host of substitutions began being made, though Villarreal deserve credit for taking advantage and giving their enthusiastic supporters something to cheer on their first Super Cup appearance.
Player of the match
HavertzKai Havertz
Chelsea
Avg
- Squad number29Player nameHavertzAverage rating
8.38
- Squad number1Player nameArrizabalagaAverage rating
7.43
- Squad number7Player nameKantéAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number22Player nameZiyechAverage rating
7.13
- Squad number14Player nameChalobahAverage rating
6.99
- Squad number16Player nameMendyAverage rating
6.67
- Squad number2Player nameRüdigerAverage rating
6.53
- Squad number3Player nameAlonsoAverage rating
6.41
- Squad number28Player nameAzpilicuetaAverage rating
6.35
- Squad number17Player nameKovacicAverage rating
6.33
- Squad number11Player nameWernerAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number15Player nameZoumaAverage rating
6.24
- Squad number10Player namePulisicAverage rating
6.10
- Squad number4Player nameChristensenAverage rating
6.09
- Squad number5Player nameJorginhoAverage rating
5.99
- Squad number19Player nameMountAverage rating
5.91
- Squad number20Player nameHudson-OdoiAverage rating
5.87
Villarreal
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameMorenoAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number18Player nameMorenoAverage rating
6.54
- Squad number12Player nameEstupiñánAverage rating
6.39
- Squad number17Player nameDani RabaAverage rating
6.39
- Squad number1Player nameAsenjoAverage rating
6.39
- Squad number23Player nameMoi GómezAverage rating
6.32
- Squad number2Player nameMario GasparAverage rating
6.31
- Squad number8Player nameFoythAverage rating
6.29
- Squad number4Player nameP TorresAverage rating
6.24
- Squad number22Player nameMandiAverage rating
6.22
- Squad number6Player nameManu MorlanesAverage rating
6.21
- Squad number3Player nameAlbiolAverage rating
6.17
- Squad number16Player nameDiaAverage rating
6.16
- Squad number21Player namePinoAverage rating
6.10
- Squad number24Player namePedrazaAverage rating
6.04
- Squad number25Player nameCapoueAverage rating
6.03
- Squad number14Player nameManu TriguerosAverage rating
6.03
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 16MendySubstituted forArrizabalagaat 119'minutesBooked at 124mins
- 14Chalobah
- 15ZoumaSubstituted forChristensenat 66'minutes
- 2RüdigerBooked at 44mins
- 20Hudson-OdoiSubstituted forAzpilicuetaat 82'minutes
- 7KantéSubstituted forJorginhoat 65'minutes
- 17Kovacic
- 3Alonso
- 22ZiyechSubstituted forPulisicat 43'minutes
- 29Havertz
- 11WernerSubstituted forMountat 65'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 4Christensen
- 5Jorginho
- 6Thiago Silva
- 9Abraham
- 10Pulisic
- 12Loftus-Cheek
- 19Mount
- 21Chilwell
- 24James
- 28Azpilicueta
- 33Emerson
Villarreal
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Asenjo
- 8Foyth
- 3Albiol
- 4P Torres
- 24PedrazaSubstituted forEstupiñánat 58'minutes
- 21PinoBooked at 61minsSubstituted forMandiat 90'minutes
- 14Trigueros MuñozSubstituted forGómez Bardonadoat 70'minutes
- 25CapoueSubstituted forM Gasparat 70'minutes
- 18MorenoSubstituted forMorlanes Ariñoat 85'minutes
- 7Moreno
- 16DiaSubstituted forRaba Antolínat 85'minutesBooked at 119mins
Substitutes
- 2M Gaspar
- 6Morlanes Ariño
- 9Alcácer
- 10Iborra
- 12Estupiñán
- 13Rulli
- 15Cuenca
- 17Raba Antolín
- 20Peña
- 22Mandi
- 23Gómez Bardonado
- 34Niño
- Referee:
- Sergey Karasev
- Attendance:
- 10,435
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home20
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away5
- Corners
- Home9
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Penalties over
Penalty Shootout ends, Chelsea 1(6), Villarreal 1(5).
Post update
Penalty saved! Raúl Albiol (Villarreal) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(6), Villarreal 1(5). Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(5), Villarreal 1(5). Juan Foyth (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(5), Villarreal 1(4). Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(4), Villarreal 1(4). Dani Raba (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(4), Villarreal 1(3). Jorginho (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(3), Villarreal 1(3). Moi Gómez (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(3), Villarreal 1(2). Mason Mount (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(2), Villarreal 1(2). Pervis Estupiñán (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Booking
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(2), Villarreal 1(1). Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Penalty saved! Aïssa Mandi (Villarreal) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1(1), Villarreal 1(1). César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Chelsea 1, Villarreal 1(1). Gerard Moreno (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Penalty saved! Kai Havertz (Chelsea) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
Penalties in progress
Penalty Shootout begins Chelsea 1, Villarreal 1.
Post update
Second Half Extra Time ends, Chelsea 1, Villarreal 1.
Post update
Foul by Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).
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Comments
Join the conversation
Same for Unai Emery that won this cup so many times.
Such contrast with the most England players (Euro 2020/1) on Man U losers (in Europa League Final).
A little bit of grace in defeat
Well done to Chelsea and Tuchel. Hope Soslkjaer was watching this. If he was brave enough to sub De Gea and a few more of our our no show big game players (ie Rashford) in the Europa League, then it might have been us in this final tonight instead of Villareal.
Been the victims of some fair criticism but also unfair criticism and hopefully this is the start of him proving the doubters wrong